UPDATE: COVID-19 Self-Isolation Requirements for International Trainee Arrivals
Throughout the pandemic, PGME and TAHSN have been working together to monitor and assess the need for trainees arriving from outside of Canada to isolate for 14 days prior to commencing any in-person clinical work. Given that these requirements have been lifted for fully vaccinated Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents as of July 5, 2021, it is now the position of PGME and TAHSN that the locally mandated self-isolation requirements be sunset.
All self‐isolation requirements will defer to the federal requirements. This means fully vaccinated travellers who are already eligible to enter Canada may forego self‐isolation if they are vaccinated and test negative, and thus would be permitted to attend to work shortly after arrival from a COVID travel risk perspective. We believe this is consistent with the independent expectations of most hospitals. All trainees returning to the clinical workplace should be instructed to check local Occupational Health Office requirements; hospitals would reserve the right to add additional requirements if they so wish.
For further information on the federal requirements for COVID-19 vaccinated travellers entering Canada, please refer to the following source: https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/covid-vaccinated-travellers-entering-canada
We continue to support the costs associated to the housing accommodation needs of our trainees who are, upon arrival at their port of entry, advised by the federal immigration officer to enter an isolation period prior to commencing clinical work. Please direct these trainees to contact Lisa Bevacqua, lisa.bevacqua@utoronto.ca.
Sincerely,
GLEN BANDIERA, BASc (Engin), MD, MEd, FRCPC
Professor and Associate Dean, Postgraduate Medical Education
Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Emergency Physician, Unity Health Toronto (St. Michael’s)
